No abstract

Friction stir welding (FSW) has become an up-and-coming joining method with a wide range of industrial applications. Besides the unique weld seam properties, recent investigations have focused on the process-related tool wear of shoulder and probe, which can have detrimental economic and technological effects. This paper presents a systematic quantitative characterization of FSW tool wear using stripe light projection as a novel method to detect weight and form deviations of shoulder and probe. The investigations were carried out with a robotic welding setup in which AA-6060 T66 sheets, with a thickness of 8 mm, were joined by weld seams up to a total length of 80 m. During the experimental tests, geometrical deviations of the tool induced by wear were detected for varying weld seam lengths and different measuring points on the probe and shoulder. It was shown that wear depended on welding length which in turn caused significant deviations and weight losses on shoulder and probe. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the wear on shoulder and probe can be considered separately. It was found that there is a progressive wear rate on the shoulder and a degressive wear rate on the probe depending on the weld seam length. To demonstrate the negative impact of tool wear on shoulder and probe after 80 m weld seam length, visual and metallographic inspections and tensile tests were carried out to detect resultant irregularities in the weld seam.

Friction stir welding is a solid-state joining process with a wide range of industrial applications in the e-mobility, automotive, aerospace and energy industries. However, friction stir welding is subjected to process-specific challenges, including comparatively high process forces and friction stir welding tool wear resulting from tribological interaction between the tool and workpiece. The geometric-related friction stir welding tool wear can cause varying material flow conditions, lateral path deviations and premature tool failure, with detrimental economic and technological consequences. This study systematically analyses the wear behaviour of friction stir welding tools as a function of tool hardness. To compare and differentiate the geometric-related tool wear as a function of tool hardness, experiments were carried out with a hardness of 240 HV, 410 HV and 580 HV. Whereas 240 HV is non-hardened, 410 HV is 50% of the secondary hardness maximum and 580 HV is the secondary hardness maximum of the tools made of H13 tool steel (hot-working steel, X40CrMoV5-1). During the experimental tests, the shoulder and probe exhibited varying wear and geometrical deviations. The investigations were carried out with a force-controlled robotized welding setup in which AA-6060 T66 sheets with a thickness of 8 mm were joined by weld seams up to a total length of 80 m.

Friction stir welding is an increasingly used method to join similar and dissimilar materials with excellent mechanical weld seam properties. However, in certain cases, friction stir welding is restricted by high mechanical loads as a result of high forces and torques during the welding process. This relates in particular stiffness-reduced machine concepts which may cause path deviations, massive vibrations and insufficient tool plunging. Against this background, this investigation demonstrates a method to reduce forces and torques by tool scaling. Due to the stepwise diameter reduction of shoulder and probe and a simultaneous adjustment of the process parameters, a significant force and spindle torque reduction was achieved. Furthermore, it could be shown that tool scaling does not affect the mechanical strength properties. The experimental investigations were carried out with EN AW 5754 H11 with a sheet thickness of 8 mm. The weld seams were performed on a robotized friction stir welding setup (KUKA KR500) with a maximum axial force of 10 kN. Based on a 26-mm shoulder and a 10-mm pin diameter, it could be demonstrated that the general weldability of 8 mm EN AW 5754 H11 is restricted (incomplete tool plunge) by the maximum axial force of the robotized friction stir welding setup (10 kN). Due to the stepwise reduction of the shoulder and probe diameter from 26 mm to 20.8 mm and 10 mm to 8 mm, respectively, a general weldability and weld seams without irregularities could be achieved by the equal robotized friction stir welding setup. Furthermore, it could be shown that an axial force and spindle torque reduction from 10 kN to 4 kN and 29 Nm to 10 Nm, respectively, was obtained due to further reduction of the tool diameters.

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining process with a wide range of applications in the E-mobility, automotive, aerospace and energy industries. However, FSW is subjected to specific challenges including comparatively high process forces and high requirements on the clamping technique as well as tool wear resulting from the tool-workpiece interaction and thermo-mechanical stresses. Geometric-related tool wear can cause premature tool failure, process instabilities or weld seam irregularities. Therefore, tool wear in general, wear limits and tool life are essential factors for the efficient and sustainable implementation of friction stir welding. Against this background, this study analysed areas of significant tool wear on the shoulder and probe as a function of process temperature, weld seam length and weld seam quality. This provided functional correlations for determining limiting conditions on maximum tolerable tool wear. Geometrical deviations of the tool, induced by wear, were detected experimentally at different measuring points on the probe and shoulder and varying weld seam length. The investigations were carried out using a force-controlled robotized welding setup in which AA-6060-T66 sheets with a thickness of 5 mm were joined by weld seams up to 500 m in length. To identify the maximum tolerable tool wear, the weld seam properties were determined by visual and metallographic inspections and by tensile tests at 50-m intervals on the weld seam. It was shown that a 50% reduction in rotational speed (lower temperatures) resulted in less wear and thus in an increase of tool life of up to 150%. In addition, it was shown that the shoulder, like the probe, was also subject to significant wear. These results can be incorporated into FSW maintenance schedules to maximize tool life and minimize scrap rates.